Srinivasan's name features in Mudgal report: SC

N Srinivasan's name features in the inquiry report submitted by the Mudgal committee, revealed the Supreme Court, which said the suspended BCCI president cannot discharge his duties inside the Indian cricket board.

The apex court, which was hearing the spot-fixing case, stood firm by its March 28 order, dismissing Srinivasan's appeal to reinstate him as the chief of the Indian cricket board.

The Supreme Court through an interim order on March 28 had removed Srinivasan from his post, appointing Shivlal Yadav and Sunil Gavaskar as joint heads. Srinivasan, later filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court questioning his removal as the Board president.

A bench headed by Justice A.K. Patnaik, however, expressed reservation over ordering a SIT or CBI probe, saying that institutional autonomy of the Board has to be maintained and a committee constituted by the BCCI to look into the issue would be preferred.

"Having come to know the nature of allegations, we cannot close our eyes," the bench said, adding that it is concerned about the game of cricket in the country and not about individuals.

Referring to a sealed envelope report of Justice Mudgal committee, the bench said, "It (report) said all these allegations were brought to his (Srinivasan) notice but he did not take any action. That means he was aware about the allegations and did not take it seriously."

The Twenty20 league was rocked by spot-fixing and betting allegations last year, which saw Sreesanth and a few other cricketers arrested for their role in the scandal.

Gurunath Meiyappan, Srinivasan's son-in-law was indicted by the Supreme Court for his links with bookies and sharing team information with them. The probe report also confirmed Meiyappan as a Chennai' official. However, Srinivasan has repeatedly stated that Meiyappan was not a part of the official chair and was merely a "cricket enthusiast."

Meanwhile, the apex court has allowed Sundar Raman to continue as chief operating officer during the seventh edition of the Indian T20 League. The SC said the decision was arrived at after Gavaskar, who is the interim head of BCCI - T20 League affairs, wrote to the SC about his inability to take a decision on Raman.

The SC also agreed to hear the BCCI's plea seeking tapes of audio recording of interactions of Mudgal committee with MS Dhoni and Srinivasan.

BCCI treasurer and secretary of HCA, Aniruddh Chaudhary, made it clear that his state association would not make any plea to the board to revoke the ban on Ajit Chandila in relation to the IPL spot-fixing controversy.

BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur reiterated that there was no way back for Sreesanth, Ankit Chavan and Ajit Chandila because the BCCI would not lift the penalties imposed on them in relation to the IPL spot-fixing controversy.